I didn’t do this last week, but I don’t recall why as I actually had some reading progress to report. Oh well, here we go!

What are you currently reading?

I’ve been plugging away at Dubliners, which has really caught my interest. I didn’t really like the first story, but everything else has been great. I love the feeling of longing and isolation that exists throughout all of the stories, and I enjoy the way that each one moves onto later stages of life. Even though many of the characters are much younger or older than I am, I feel like I can relate to most of them in some way. I love how the stories end abruptly without resolution or have ambiguous ending as well. The way that these stories make me feel reminds me fondly of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, so if this is what a lot of early 20th-century literary fiction is like, I’m all for it. The last story that I finished was “A Painful Case,” and I started the next one. I probably should have finished this collection by now since it’s short, but I just haven’t been in the mood for reading. Whenever I have been in the mood, there is always something else happening to get in the way.

I also started Enchantress from the Stars since my last post, but I haven’t really got anywhere with it. *shrugs* I think that I just forgot about it…. Oops.

What did you recently finish reading?

I finally finished At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being and Apricot Cocktails by Sarah Bakewell. My tired mind is trying to gather thoughts about it right now, but it is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in the existentialists or philosophy. I loved how it mixed philosophical ideas with the biographies of the different existentialists. I’ve been interested in Sartre since I encountered his essay “For Whom Does One Write?” in a critical thinking course, so this satisfied some of my curiosity. I still would like to read some of his philosophical works in full, but I don’t know when that will happen. I definitely want to read No Exit sometime soon.

What do you think you'll read next?

Aside from what I am reading, I don’t know. I had some things in mind, but I have already forgotten them. -_-;

Today was better than yesterday, but I'm still staying up too late and sleeping in too late. I woke up around 10 this morning, and I was feeling pretty good until the afternoon. I did what I wasn't supposed to do, which is take a nap around 3 o'clock. I woke up around 10 or 15 minutes before 5. Then, I started to have some stomach pain for no discernible reason.

I decided to go ahead with my daily writing goals, but I'm doing something controversial in counting what I write in my journal entries toward my goals. Sure, it's not fanfic, original fic, or poetry, but journaling is often a recommended tool for writers. It's a way to keep the ball rolling, and I hope to write more fiction/poetry as time goes on. Besides, I will be taking a creative non-fiction class this semester, so this can be practice for that. I feel that just putting any kind of words on the screen is beneficial, and I believe that keeping a journal has helped me find my voice over the years. Fiction, poetry, non-fiction, blogging: it's all one to me.

I finished my stageoffools letter tonight. It still needs tweaking in order to be easy to read, but it's essentially done. This was accompanied by watching the 2016 Russell T. Davies version of A Midsummer Night's Dream because I wanted to refresh myself on the details. That was probably not the best idea as this version had some obvious changes. The most obvious was that ( Spoilers )

This was more of a reinterpretation, but I enjoyed the changes and they made me look at the play in a slightly different way.

I've been really tired today, and I haven't really done anything all day. I started out by organizing and messing around with my Spotify playlists. There are a lot of good albums that I never listen to, so I have started dumping the albums that I remember liking into playlists separated by decades. Depending on how many albums I can recall, these playlists could end up being massive. This is still better than my old organizational system, which is basically nonexistent. I will probably try to make some genre playlists, but that will have to wait. I'm not sure if I should put Broadway cast recordings in the individual decade playlists or put them into one giant, all-consuming Broadway playlist. I'm leaning toward the latter because of the amount of tracks on albums and the fact that revivals can feature music from decades earlier than when they were recorded.

Organizing music on Spotify is a big thing for me because I own very little music myself. When I was growing up, I bought almost no music aside from anime CDs. I listened to Japanese music almost exclusively until I was about 15, except for when I was listening to the radio in the car. By the time that I started listening to English music more often, I had already discovered the joys of music piracy and downloading. I built up and lost my mp3 collection several times over because I never backed anything up. Eventually, I stopped downloading mp3s and switched to streaming via... Last.fm in 2006, I think? Now that I think of it, I think I started listening to Yahoo's Launchcast personalized radio first... does anyone remember that? I always thought I would re-download my old collection from iTunes, but based on the volume of music that I had listened to over the years as well as my changing tastes, I never did. So, basically, I'm trying to get together all the new and old music that I've ever loved and can still enjoy in one place.

Anyway, I got really tired after that. I blame it on waking up several times during the night and having a dream about turning into an evil witch with my best friend from elementary school. I don't know where exactly that came from, but it felt pretty vivid at the time. I have taken to listening to audio books and podcasts while I'm trying to fall asleep, and I frequently fall asleep with them still playing. I was listening to the Welcome to Night Vale novel last night, so maybe that is to blame.

The only other thing that I can blame for being exhausted today is that I have been active more often than usual in the past two weeks. It all started with Portland. The week before last, I was in Portland for a few days. That involved a lot of walking and getting lost on public transportation. I walked 4+ miles each day, and I was able to eat at a cool British pub called The Raven and the Rose, so I was pretty happy.

On Thursday of last week, I went to Catalina for my grandma's birthday because they offer free boat trips to the island for people celebrating their birthdays as well as one guest. It felt like I spent most of my time riding around on the back of a golf cart and listening to music, but I did end up walking 3.3 miles. I also bought a unicorn necklace because I am clearly an eleven year old girl on the inside. XD; Altogether, it was a good day, and I spent the ride home out on deck to experience the wind and sea spray while staring at the sea and darkening sky. It has been so long since I've been out to sea like that, so I regret nothing.

On Friday, I stayed home for most of the day, but I went to Fullerton in the evening to get coffee at the Night Owl. Then, I found out that my aunt was making tacos, so we went over there for dinner.

On Saturday, I went back to Fullerton to try a pizza place called Fuoco. It was good but way more authentic than I am used to. Then, I went to the Tranquil Tea Lounge where I ordered a white tea and mochi ice cream. It was the first time I had mochi ice cream before, and I loved it. Overall, I walked 1.5 miles that day.

On Sunday, I went to Torrance with my family to visit an old neighbor of theirs. I used it as an excuse to stop by Mitsuwa for the first time. I did not realize that that place was so big! I wish I had more time to spend there, but I did get some snacks as well as a discounted tea set. I want to visit the one in Costa Mesa since it is about the same distance as the one in Torrance. Overall, I walked 1.3 miles that day.

So, it's probably not the walking that has made me tired because I've actually felt better on days that I've walked more. I'm guessing that it is the social interaction and maybe just being out. I think that this is the same thing that makes me feel so exhausted during the semester because I can be out for only a few hours and feel drained. That is why it is so hard to balance my classes with anything else. I don't interact with people a lot, but just being there can make me feel self-conscious and nervous... it is not fun. It is worst at the beginning of the semester, especially if I don't know the professor. Usually, it gets better after a month or so, but I still carry a lot of stress and tension with me which can be very draining.

Last but not least, I did not start my new writing goals because I have felt tired and distracted. I decided that I should get started on a day when I actually feel good, but maybe that's just an excuse. It's so hard to start things and find motivation.

I've decided to try to write 1000 words every day until this time next month. That way I can see how easy/difficult it is to accomplish, so I can adjust my plans for the rest of the year. I can experience what it's like to strive for my goals during vacation and the first week of the semester. I really want my summer writing to end with a bang, and I've been doing way more of it than usual for the last few days. Maybe this is too much to start, but I want to push myself and accomplish things before the summer ends. I don't know if I'm the kind of person who needs to write every day or who should write every day, but this is one way to find out.

I just don't know how to deal with distractions/interruptions, but if I aim to knock out 1000 words in the morning, I can save the rest of the day for those things. I'm not sure if I should start after tomorrow as I will be in Catalina with my family for most of the day, but I could try to write on my phone. *shrugs* Whatever it takes to finish my projects and write more words.

I just spotted this meme on fandomcalendar, and I thought I'd give it a try since I hardly ever link to my fic on this journal. Go read my inconsequential fluff and angst and leave feedback if you can. Concrit is welcome and encouraged!

I have also come to the conclusion that I don't need to bother with tumblr to enjoy fandom. There is a lot of fun and friends here if you know how to look. Sure, I may be missing out on new shiny things on tumblr, but I'm not going to be too upset about being active there. This may change in the future, but if DW stays as my main fandom hangout, that will be okay.

On the other hand, I've been kicking around the idea of turning anelusivedreamer into a writing journal. The posting interface still gives me grief, but time will tell, I suppose.

Do I contradict myself? Well then, I contradict myself. I am large; I contain multitudes!

I’m so happy that we matched on one (or more) of these plays! Here are some suggestions for the directions you could take in your fic, so I hope that they inspire you. As many have said before me, these are merely suggestions. If you have your own ideas for these characters or pairings, go for it.

I have gone to bed after 1 am consistently for the last few days, which does not bode well for when I will have to be awake and functioning before 10 AM next month. -_-; I'm still wondering how July is almost over and where the time has gone. Time has always been my enemy, but maybe we will be able to reconcile someday.

Last weekend, I house-sat for my aunt and uncle, which meant AC for a few days! *cheers* Naturally, it started to cool down outside just when I finally got access to the air conditioning. I'm home now, but I was able to enjoy it for a few days at least. It's so much easier to accomplish things when you're not hot and tired all the time.

So, after my previous post, I actually did go to the fair on Saturday and had a lovely time.( Read more... )

I also signed up for the hp_creatures fest, so hopefully I can get started on that. I will be in Oregon Thursday through Saturday for unpleasant personal reasons, but I'd like to get started before then. I have until October, but it is better that I use my time wisely, especially before school starts and consumes me. I need all the help that I can get when it comes to actually sitting down and writing anything that's over ~500 words. At least it's a pairing that I feel relatively comfortable with.

I'm supposed to go to a HP trivia night tonight at 7:30; my life is so interesting now. XD;

I made the last minute decision to go to the OC Fair to watch full-contact jousting. Here is an article about it. This may not be such a good idea because I am officially sick, so I probably won't spend as much time at the fair as I normally would even though full fair admission is included with the tickets. Regardless, I am psyched. My medieval/early modern England/fantasy-loving heart is made happy. <3

On a related note, there is a Shakespeare fic exchange going on! I probably shouldn't participate based on the schedule, but it will be hard to resist. I will try to participate in the madness collection at least. I will be taking another Shakespeare class this fall, so this can count as... um, research?

Regardless of what you thought of their music, this is tragic. Another life lost to suicide... I don't know everyone else's experiences with the band, but I can't imagine my adolescence without them. There was a time in the 2000s when Linkin Park and Evanescence songs reigned supreme in AMVs, which is how I discovered both of them. As cliche as it may sound, their music *spoke to me* at a very emotional part of my life. They were the soundtrack for many nostalgic Yu Yu Hakusho AMVs (especially those made by Maze Castle back in the day) as well as many angsty nights. While my musical taste has shifted away from them in recent years, they were a formative band for me. I've spent the afternoon listening and singing along to Linkin Park songs old and new in his memory.

Maybe nobody cares about this band in fandom anymore, but I just did not expect to wake up to this news today, especially since I can relate to his mental health struggles. Somehow, I made it through all those trying years, and I hope you all do, too.

It has been a long while since I have done one of these. Since I’m trying to kick my summer reading goals into gear, here we go…

What are you currently reading?

Two things—At the Existentialist Café, which is non-fiction an philosophical, and Dubliners by James Joyce, which is a short story collection of Joyce’s early works. At the Existentialist Café is over half done, but I haven’t made much progress on it as of late because it is not the sort of thing I can listen to while drifting off to sleep. I just started Dubliners and have only read the first story. Last year, one of my professors said that all English majors should read Dubliners before they graduate, so I took the plunge and thanked God that he didn’t say Ulysses.

Ugh, summer is upon us, and it is woefully hot. Since I lack air conditioning at home, I almost wish that I was taking summer classes in order to escape the heat. I needed a break, though. Last semester wasn't necessarily difficult, but it was draining. This was most likely caused by my lack of personal writing over the last few months, which left me without a true creative outlet. Academic writing can be fun, but it's not necessarily the best form of expression even if I do manage to express myself through my interests and choice of topics at times.

So, I have stalled out o my writing and decided to withdraw from getyourwordsout because I was so far behind. I could have continued plodding along, but the whole thing was stressing me out. Basically, I was behind from the start. I'm not great at dealing with failure and overcoming my shortcomings, so I just pushed it to the back of my mind. I will probably try again next year.

I finally saw Wonder Woman last week with my family, and I heartily enjoyed it. I did not grow up with Wonder Woman or comics, but I enjoy superhero movies in general. I went to support the female director and the idea of a female-led superhero flick without any personal investment in the character. In spite of that, this was the least bored I've been at the movies in a long while. This makes sense because it has a lot of the narrative tropes that I enjoy. ( Very mild spoilers )

Basically, I want to be her. If I read comic books, I'd probably be doing that right now.

I also rewatched the Fantastic Beasts movie, and I felt like I liked it a lot more this time. I always enjoyed the world-building and characters, but the story felt lacking. While I still think it could have been better, I felt way more invested in the story this time around. I also still think Newt is a refreshing lead, and I am always happy to see more Hufflepuff characters in the limelight.

I wasn't interested in the fandom back when I first watched it, but I am curious now. I havent gone looking for fics, but I would love some recs. I don't know who is still paying attention to this half-dead journal, but fic recs for Fantastic Beasts would be much appreciated if you have any.

Well, I have failed at updating my journal regularly, but that which we call real life has plagued my mind and free time. I just finished my semester last week, so I have been reading and relaxing since then. Right now, I'm reading through a collection of Lovecraft's Dream Cycle, and I thought I'd share this quote because it seems appropriate:

"There are not many persons who know what wonders are opened to them in the stories and visions of their youth; for when as children we listen and dream,we think but half-formed thoughts, and when as men we try to remember, we are dulled and prosaic with the poison of life. But some of us awake in the nightwith strange phantasms of enchanted hills and gardens, of fountains that sing in the sun, of golden cliffs overhanging murmuring seas, of plains that stretchdown to sleeping cities of bronze and stone, and of shadowy companies of heroes that ride caparisoned white horses along the edges of thick forests; andthen we know that we have looked back through the ivory gates into that world of wonder which was ours before we were wise and unhappy."- H. P. Lovecraft, "Celephais," The Dream Cycle

All right, it has been a long while since I've done one of these posts. Conveniently enough, I remembered that it's Wednesday, and I'm actually reading something! Despite this not being the first Wednesday of the year, this is my first reading post for 2017.

What are you currently reading?

I picked up Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis again, but I haven’t made much progress on that as of late. Sometimes, I feel like I’ve already read quotes of the best bits, but it’s interesting to see into his childhood through this autobiography since we seem to share similar taste in literature. This author is probably the main reason that I’m studying literature in the first place, and now that I’m better acquainted with classic literature, it’s fun to pick out the references and know what he’s talking about.

What did you recently finish reading?

Today, I just finished The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling. I feel pretty bad for not getting around to this sooner, but obviously, it’s very different from Harry Potter. It took me awhile to get into it, but I ended up not wanting to put it down and really enjoying it by the end. I’m not really the kind of person to cry over books these days, but if I were, this book would have been one of them. I felt that the ending was sad but satisfying with a glimmer of hope for the future. I don’t feel like the characters were as memorable as those from Rowling’s other books, though. I rated the first Cormoran Strike book lower than this one on GoodReads (and I feel like I should reevaluate that rating), but the characters from that series stick out much better in my mind even though I read that book a few years ago. In this book, I kept forgetting who people were, and it was hard to like anyone at first because all of the characters are so flawed. It was definitely not a good versus evil kind of story with clear-cut heroes and villains like in Harry Potter, but it dealt with some of the same issues of class and prejudice that Rowling included in Harry Potter. Even though the subject matter was very different, it was easy to keep in mind that this was a book by J. K. Rowling. Plus, it’s always refreshing to die back into her prose and see how it has been changed by this genre.

What do you think you'll read next?

I have a couple things in mind, but I haven’t made a decision yet. I was considering Captive Prince or the second Cormoran Strike book. It all depends on my mood.

I stalled out on the snowflake_challenge last week, but I have every intention of seeing it through again this year. I don't like doing multiple days under cuts in one big entry, so I will probably continue to do them in individual posts and won't try to catch up before it's over. I probably won't post more than two entries per day, so there's no need to worry about spamming, either.

Then, I woke up the next morning and realized that the deadline for chocolateboxcomm was that Saturday. Since that was my one successful exchange last year, I didn't want to break with something that could soon become a tradition, so I panicked and threw together a sign-up at the last minute. I... probably requested too many different pairings and fandoms for my own good, but it's just so fun anticipating what random surprises I might receive. Of course, it was a pain to scramble to throw together a letter for all those pairings in such short notice, but I did it and sincerely hope it doesn't suck.

I got my assignment on Monday. I'm both excited and nervous about it because I want to produce something good. I was already planning on treating my recipient before I got the assignment, so I already have an idea and have written some of it out. The trouble is pulling it all together and making it into something that lives up to the expectations in my head. I think canon review will help because I feel uncertain about writing for this fandom and want to get the characters just right.

During all of this excitement, I've been trying to keep up with my reading and writing goals for the year. I still have some comments that I need to reply to as well. I also started binging the podcast Wolf 359 last week, so I should make a post on that soon or whenever I'm caught up.

Hi There! I'm so glad that we matched on one of these fandoms. I'm looking forward to whatever you may write for me, but here are a few ideas and guidelines. I’m sure that I will be happy with whatever you do as long as you try to avoid my dislikes. If you enjoy writing it, I’m sure I will enjoy reading it, so feel free to take any prompts as mere suggestions. If you have something totally different in mind, go right ahead. Creativity is encouraged!

Comment to someone you haven't ever interacted with before or introduce yourself to someone you've interacted with and friend/follow them. Afterwards,leave a comment in this post with the equivalent of "I did it!"

I think I've done a pretty good job of accomplishing this thanks to st_aurafina's great friending meme, so I will count this as done. I still want to read through the comments and add more people, though. Even on the Internet, socializing can be hard. I tend to be the type of person who keeps to herself and is just happy to read what others have written. I've spent several years of my life just lurking in the shadows, but I'm glad that I've tried to reach out to people and make connections as well.

In your own space, set some goals for the coming year. They can be fannish or not, public or private. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Includea link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Yay, goals! I was going to post about them sooner or later. I didn't do a great job at keeping my goals for last year, but I did make some good progress, and I am happy with everything that I accomplished last year. I don't want to make the exact same goals this year, but some of them will probably be the same.